TRENDING

DOE task force to use OMB's 24 e-gov projects as a model for more of its own

By Wilson P. Dizard III

May 21, 2002

'Our goal in establishing the task force is so we can identify all the projects going on in the department, build business cases for them, and get a good view of our portfolio.'

'CIO Karen Evans

The Energy Department is creating a task force to identify e-government projects it will pattern after the Office of Management and Budget's 24 cross-agency programs.

The department is calling the project IDEA, for Innovative Department of Energy E-government Applications.

'Our goal in establishing the task force is so we can identify all the projects going on in the department, build business cases for them, and get a good view of our portfolio,' CIO Karen Evans said.

Energy also wants to reach the green level of the administration's management assessment ranks: the top rating, for projects that are 90 percent effective.

In the red

When OMB released the assessments in February, Energy, like most agencies, received a red rating, indicating that its programs were flawed and did not meet users' needs.

'Our task force is scheduled to be completed by the end of June. Then projects will be coordinated with the budget cycle,' Evans said.

The task force will identify no more than 20 e-government projects, including the six Energy already participates in as part of the OMB 24.

Follow OMB's lead

'What we are doing is managing these projects in a very similar way to what OMB is doing,' Evans said. 'We will have a lead program area to take responsibility for each project, and everybody across the department will participate in much the same way as the OMB program' divides responsibilities among agencies, she said.

The IDEA task force will have about 30 members. Once it has identified the projects, Energy's management committee'which is formed primarily of officials at the assistant secretary level'will select the programs to be implemented, Evans said.